Chapter 469: Grey Ghost Recognizes a Master?

High Above King's Landing

"Roar!" Syrax roared nonstop, playfully scampering through the towers before swooping out of the Dragon Gate. Rhaenyra's face lit up with joy as she held Aemon, who giggled happily. Their laughter echoed throughout King's Landing, filling the city with their joy.

"The mother loves dragons just like her children," Rhaegar thought, feeling a sense of triumph akin to taming Cannibal.

"Roar!" Cannibal circled King's Landing for the third time, chasing Syrax as they flew past the Dragon Gate.

The two dragons soared through the sky, one after the other, leaving the people of King's Landing in awe, their hearts pounding with excitement. This magnificent display was etched into the memory of all who witnessed it, a moment so vivid that even twenty years later, it would be remembered with the same intensity.

...

The Banks of the Blackwater Rush

Rhaegar spread his arms wide, his voice booming over the rush of the river. "Rhaenyra, shall we race to see who can fly faster?"

Little Baelon's face turned red, fully exposed to the wind, and he whined in protest.

Rhaenyra, riding Syrax, flew ahead and turned to scold him, "Why don't you challenge Meleys to a race instead of Syrax?"

"Mm-hmm," Rhaegar grunted in agreement.

Cannibal's deep green eyes glowed as its massive wings flapped, catching up to Syrax with a powerful gust that nearly unbalanced the smaller dragon. Poor Syrax dared not resist, stubbornly hanging behind the tail of the formidable Cannibal.

Cannibal had grown rapidly, now surpassing even the oldest dragon, Vhagar, in size. In contrast, Syrax was a young female dragon, barely past the threshold of adulthood and less than a third the size of the Cannibal.

Rhaenyra snorted, giving little Aemon a playful pat on the butt. The giggling baby's eyes filled with misty grievances. She pinched his cheek, saying teasingly, "Though you are still young, you should understand the principle of paying foryour father's debts."

Aemon pouted, tears welling up as if he was about to cry.

Meanwhile, high above the riverbank, Rhaegar, oblivious to the exchange, opened Baelon's swaddling clothes to let the baby fully enjoy the breeze. After a while, Baelon shook his head vigorously and buried his face in his father's chest.

"What a funny little thing," Rhaegar laughedheartily. The Targaryens were not afraid of the cold, and he knew his children would inherit his robust constitution.

As they flew south along the Blackwater Rush towards Oldtown, the siblings followed the river all the way to Highgarden. They planned to spend the night there before continuing to Oldtown the next day.

Rhaegar looked down at the roaring Blackwater Rush, its surface sparkling in the sunlight. Suddenly, a light gray dragon shadow emerged from the clouds.

"Roar..." The melodious call of the dragon caught the attention of the two riders and their dragons.

Rhaegar turned his head to see a pale gray dragon floating towards them, looking ghostly against the backdrop of white clouds. "Grey Ghost?" he said in surprise.

This shy wild dragon had returned to Dragonstone after the battle of the Triarchy and had been hiding there for months.

"Rhaegar, it's come to see you," Rhaenyra noted, covering Aemon's mouth with her fingers. The little one sucked on them for comfort, teary-eyed.

"Then Oldtown will soon be home to five dragons," Rhaegar smiled.

As they spoke, the Grey Ghost emerged from the high clouds, its pupils shining brightly as it warily approached Rhaegar. Cannibal glanced at it, and the Grey Ghost, seeing no aggression, cautiously flew closer.

Rhaegar adjusted his breastband and tried to communicate with the Grey Ghost. "Good fellow, are you coming from Harrenhal?" he asked.

The Grey Ghost had been a regular visitor since the dragon's nest was built at God's Eye.

"Roar..." To Rhaegar's surprise, the Grey Ghost showed little interest in communicating. Instead, it snorted and focused its vertical pupils on the sash on his chest, more precisely, on little Baelon swaddled within.

Rhaegar hesitated for a moment before lifting the cover to reveal the snotty-faced Baelon. The wind was too strong for the baby, and he couldn't stand it. Baelon sucked his thumb, his pale face calm, staring directly at the light gray dragon.

Covered in light gray scales, Grey Ghost's backscales and wing membranes glowed faintly in the sunlight, camouflaging it among the clouds. Its head was not fierce but rather handsome,adorned with pale horns and a neat, dense horn crown. The most distinctive feature was its pair of amber pupils, which shone with a curious, inquisitive, and shy light.

"Roar..." Grey Ghost's vertical pupils fixed on the human cub, sniffing like a drug addict and snorting excitedly. Rhaegar's eyes were full of confusion.

"Roar..." Grey Ghost turned and flew towardsSyrax, who was in a bad mood and felt provoked. Syrax opened his dragon mouth, ready to attack.

"Quiet, Syrax," Rhaenyra commanded at the critical moment. She, too, was curious about the wild dragon's intentions.

"Roar..." Not having been driven away, Grey Ghost flapped its wings merrily and circled Syrax. Born at about the same time, the two dragons were similar in size. Syrax, with its thick, large wings, appeared somewhat clumsy, while Grey Ghost, well proportioned and relatively small, had light gray wings large enough to cover its entire body. This configuration made it faster and more agile in aerial combat.

Rhaenyra noticed Grey Ghost's exploratory nature and exposed baby Aemon in her arms, allowing the dragon to take a good look. Grey Ghost's pupils widened as it sniffed the second baby, showing a puzzled expression. Unlike Baelon, Aemon had the scent of other dragons on him.

"Roar..." Grey Ghost, uninterested in Syrax, flew back to the Cannibal. Rhaegar, observing the dragon's unusual enthusiasm, went from confusion to surprise, and finally to deep doubt. Could this timid little dragon have taken a liking to his son?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Rhaegar quickly unwrapped the swaddling clothes, holding Baelon out for Grey Ghost to observe more closely.

Little Baelon: "Suckling~" His little nose wrinkled, and half of his snot dripped out. Grey Ghost didn't let the opportunity pass and sniffed the baby like a crazed dragon.

Grey Ghost had been busy. It had exchanged ideas with a green female dragon abandoned on Dragonstone, only to be chased away by an angry dragon returning to its mate.

This led to a homeless wandering life. Two days ago, it had been near Gulltown when it encountered a newly hatched black dragon cub. The young dragon was fierce and yelled at him, causing Grey Ghost to leave in a huff. Remembering a dragon's nest outside the black castle, it stayed there for a couple of days.

Today, while fishing in the Blackwater Rush, Grey Ghost had smelled the scent of dragon eggs from afar. It also detected something delicious, leading it to sniff around the two human pups.

"You're not being very nice, little dragon."

Rhaegar's expressionless face masked his true intentions towards Grey Ghost. He cherished his precious son too much.

Without waiting for Grey Ghost's reaction, Rhaegar pulled out a swaddling cloth, tied itsecurely, and turned his back to block the dragon's view.

"Huh?"

Grey Ghost tilted his head, its large vertical pupils flashing with confusion.

Rhaegar patted the dragon's back and urged, "Cannibal, hurry up."

"Roar!"

Cannibal growled irritably, shaking off Grey Ghost like an annoyance, and leapt over the Blackwater Rush into the Mander River basin.

Roar...

Grey Ghost whinnied in worry and chased after him.

Rhaegar pretended not to hear, even covering little Baelon's ears. He admitted he was prejudiced against the timid dragon. Grey Ghost was smart, like all wild dragons, but hisgentleness had made him timid and shy.

Rhaegar had other plans for his eldest son. The dragon egg in the cradle had the highest priority for hatching, ensuring the most compatible companion for Baelon. Growing up together would foster a strong bond.

If the egg didn't hatch, Stormcloud and Tyraxes, bred in the Dragonpit, were excellent choices.

Stormcloud, supposedly laid by Meraxes, showed terrifying fighting talent. Tyraxes, inheriting characteristics of Morghul, the Smoking Sea Dragon, promised combat effectiveness.

But Rhaegar preferred Vermithor, Silverwing, and Seasmoke. If Baelon didn't hatch an egg or tame a young dragon, he could wait until his teens to tame a wild dragon, as many Targaryens did.

With his father's health deteriorating, Rhaegar knew he might not live for too long.

Little Baelon, following in Maegor I's footsteps, could inherit Vermithor, an adult dragon second only to Cannibal and Vhagar. Vermithor's age gave him longevity, likely outlasting Vhagar.

As the eldest son, Baelon taming Vermithor would easily suppress his siblings. Silverwing, almost as big as Dreamfyre, was another strong contender, not inferior to Caraxes.

Seasmoke and Grey Ghost were alternatives. Seasmoke, a young dragon with battle experience, was neither hot-tempered nor docile, making him a good choice for novice riders. Grey Ghost's temperament was problematic; it wasn't suited for head-on fighting. But if Baelon could help Grey Ghost overcome his shyness, he could still be powerful, not inferior to Sunfyre and Seasmoke.

"Roar..."

Grey Ghost let out a shrill cry, unable to keep up with Cannibal, who sped up and stayed by Syrax's side.

Rhaenyra laughed, having never seen Rhaegar and Cannibal so flustered. Grey Ghost, clever as ever, realized Rhaenyra was the mother of the human cub and tried to show off his well-proportioned figure.

Rhaenyra wanted to stroke his head, but he was too far. She laughed and said, "You can go back first. Wait until my child is a little older." Her words, in High Valyrian combined with a binding spell, reached Grey Ghost's mind.

The dragon paused, understanding, and stopped pestering the ill-tempered Syrax. After hovering for a while, it disappeared into the clouds.

"Roar..."

Before leaving, Grey Ghost let out a mournful neigh for the rejection.

The second time! The last time was when Rhaegar was riding on another dragon, also as a human child.

Rhaenyra couldn't help but laugh and cry. She patted Aemon's soft, round butt and said, "Your brother is more popular than you."

"Wa wa wa..."

His butt was attacked again, and Aemon's little mouth pouted, crying out loud.

(Word count: 1,703)